DEAREST LITTLE PEOPLE,

Timaru Herald, Volume CL, Issue 22043, 16 August 1941, Page 9

DEAREST LITTLE PEOPLE,

X This week I received a little sprig of heather, all the way * X from Scotland, and it brought to my mind this pretty legend:— ❖ ❖ Only a little while after the earth was made, the trees and X X plants came to live on it. They tvere happy and contented. The T *;• lily was glad because her flowers tvere so purely white; the rose X rejoiced because her blossoms were so beautiful and red; the violet X X was happy because, however shyly she might hide herself away, X X some one would come to look for her and praise her fragrance; * ❖ the daisy was happiest of all because every child in the world X X loved her. X X The trees and plants chose homes for themselves. The oak X said, “I will live in the broad fields and by the roads and travellers X may sit in my shadows.” “I shall be contented by the waters of X X the pond,” said the water lily. “I will live in the sunny fields,” X X said the daisy. “My fragrance shall rise from beside some mossy X f stone,” said the violet. X X The little heather, however, had not said a tvord, and had X X not chosen a home. No blossoms had been given to her, and she X ❖ was 100 shy to ask for any. “I wish there was someone who tvould X X be glad to see me” she whispered sadly. X X One day she heard the mountains say, “Dear plants, will X X you not come to my bare rocks and cover them with your brightness X X and your beauty?” X X “1 cannot leave the pond,” cried the water-lily. t X “/ cannot leave the green fields,” said the daisy. t ❖ jTAe little heather was trembling with eagerness. “Please, X X dear mountain, will you let me come” she whispered shyly. “I X X have not any blossoms like the others, but I will try to keep the * ❖ sun and the wind away from you.” X X “I should love a dear little plant like you,” said the mountain X X softly. The heather soon covered the mountain side with her X X bright green, and the mountain called proudly to the other plants, X “See how beautiful is my little heather.” “She has no blossoms,” X ithey scornfully replied. Then a sweet, gentle voice was heard shying X “Blossoms you shall have little Heather. You shall have many and X many a flower, because you have loved the lonely mountain and X made him happy.” X X Even before the sweet voice was still the little heather was X ❖ bright with many blossoms, and blossoms she has had from that X X day to this. •:« X This is a special legend for you, my little Scotch circlians, X X but I hope the others will like it just as well. X X Lots of love to everyone, X X <• x FROM 1 X ❖ . x X " * -* x